From time to time I get questions about how I stay apprised on all of the topics that I know something about. The short answer is a lot of reading and listening.
I make extensive use of RSS Feeds and Podcasts as part of my information intake process. In this post, I provide the list of principles that I use to manage the list of information sources that I use.
Choosing new Podcasts and Feeds
The “Jones Theory” - named after an ex-board-game-podcaster, Cody Jones, who used it for managing large board game collections. The Jones theory is roughly: “you should have only one [podcast, source, or] game that fills a particular need.” For example, you probably only need one automotive Podcast if you are not a mechanic; therefore, you should pick one and listen to just that one. Otherwise, you are prone to have way more Podcasts than you can ever possibly listen to.
However, some things like political news are more inherently biased. For these topics, I choose to have different “buckets” based around the prospective of the speaker (Conservative, Liberal, Libertarian, Democrat, Republican, etc…) and their focus area (US News, Tech News, International News). I use this principle to decide both when to add a Podcast (what needs do I have that are not being filled), and to remove a Podcast (what needs are filled twice).
When adding a new Podcast, listen to at least 3 non-holiday episodes before deciding to add a Podcast. Listening to 3 Podcasts ensures that you get a aggregate perspective on the topics they cover and the quality of their show. Many Podcasts have a year-end best of clip-show. I personally don’t enjoy these and just delete them. Listening to non-holiday episodes helps weed out duds like these. The one possible exception would be extremely long Podcasts, but that should be evaluated on a case by case basis.
- Apply the “Jones Theory” to your intake areas, what is missing and what is over-represented?
Keep a High Signal to Noise Ratio
I have found for me the higher the amount of noise in my Podcast/RSS feed, the less likely I am to use it. For that reason, I try to keep the signal to noise ratio as high as possible.
If you find yourself regularly skipping or avoiding a podcast, consider dropping it from your Podcast list. I don’t always like to do this, some Podcasts that I really enjoyed have had large sections of things I wasn’t interested in or have stooped to sub-par work. If you are really concerned about it, you can always try re-adding it in the future when your interests have changed.
Consider how long a Podcast is and how often it releases to the value your derive from it. For example, there is a Podcast that I enjoy the content, but it releases 3 hours of content per weekday. That is simply too much for me on a topic that is only tangential to my interests. For that reason, I don’t subscribe to that Podcast. Instead, I occasionally “pull” specific Podcasts from its feed when I have the time. Choosing to “pull” rather than have the information “pushed” is one way to control these good, but overwhelming Podcasts.
Another factor to consider with Podcasts with revolving guests is what is the quality of the guests. Another Podcast I originally liked when listening to has revolving guests. However, I found that I only like three of their ten or so revolving guests. I found myself skipping their Podcast regularly so I dropped it.
- What is the signal to noise ratio on what you consume now? Are there better sources?
Tools of the Trade
Choose a good Podcast Player and a good RSS Feed Reader. I use Overcast for podcasts and Feedly for RSS. In the past, I have found the built-in players to be more buggy than I like. Overcast and Feedly have both been bug-free and are easy to use. For Overcast, I really enjoy its playback control features. Feedly has really nice keyboard controls.
I would also consider listening to Podcasts at 2x or 1.5x speed. Several Podcasters speak much slower than than average when recording so they are easier to understand. Speeding up the playback returns them to normal speed and enables you to listen to more podcasts per unit time.
I hope you find this useful. Until next time!